


You Would Have Been Enough

by ByTheDawn



Series: 200challenge [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-12 03:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1181341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ByTheDawn/pseuds/ByTheDawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short work around the sentence prompt: "You would have been enough".<br/>AU: As Regina grieves her mother's death, it is Emma who comes to pay her respects.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Would Have Been Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://bythedawn.tumblr.com/post/76445267603/black-queen-you-would-of-been-enough-mwahaha-now-im).

A gloved hand slid silently—tentatively—along the name plate on the marble coffin, dragging along the side before it rested on the top. A vibrant and blood red rose was settled quietly on the regal item that held the lifeless body of a Queen.

_Cora Mills, Beloved Mother_

Regina could feel the tears rushing down her face, could feel the anguish marring her features. Her mother would have found her display of emotions disgusting. She would have scoffed at her, told her not to be so weak—to be the Queen that she was. She would have, if she was still alive, if she had not had her heart. Two extremes, two scenarios she would never see come to fruition… because the woman who was supposed to carry them out, was dead.

Anger welled up in her now, and it was almost enough to drown out her sorrow. Almost. Her mother’s lessons had been too long in the past; Regina could still go to that dark place, but she had since had a son and learned to love, and fear, and all the other weaknesses her mother would have scoffed at. Her anger was not enough to harden her heart completely anymore. It didn’t stop the pain from overtaking her now the one person who—in her twisted, sick, way—had always been there for her. Her reasons may never have been to help Regina, but in her own way, her mother had always had Regina’s best interest at heart.

A loud sob tore through the cold and quiet space, and Regina was horrified to discover it came from her. She clasped her hand over her mouth, thinking of her mother’s disapproval, and choked down the noise that threatened to spill from between severely painted lips. She couldn’t hold back another muffled sob, however, when her mind horrifically wondered if Cora—with her heart restored—would still have chastised her for her grief.

Anger flared again at having the opportunity to truly get to know her mother ripped from her. Anger at Snow White for tricking her, anger at Rumpelstiltskin for being alive while her mother was dead, and anger at herself for falling for Snow’s lies. She had wanted to believe, had wanted to be reunited with her mother, and she had believed Snow White—forgetting that Snow White was never to be trusted. Of course, Snow pretended to care—she had always pretended to care—but when it came down to it, Mary Margaret was still the spoiled brat who had seen in Regina an opportunity for a placeholder mother, and had taken it. She had always betrayed her. Regina’s jaw set and her tears intensified when she let herself feel—truly feel—how sickeningly angry she was with herself for falling for Snows lies again. She could have prevented this, and instead she had let herself be played. Again.

“Regina…?”

Spinning around, murderous eyes settled upon the figure standing nervously in the doorway, blonde locks obscuring her face as Emma kept her head down, eyes on Regina. Her fingers nervously fidgeted with another rose. Regina dropped her hand from her mouth.

“Get out.” She vocalized coldly. Emma did not move. “Get out!”

Her loud cry rang around the tomb, echoing, bouncing off of the walls. The silence never fully returned, but Regina felt even emptier than before. She was so tired, so dead inside… so alone.

“I came to pay my respects. Regina… I-I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry.” Emma tried softly, taking a step inside. The fireball appeared in Regina’s hand without conscious thought—a true manifestation of the dark haired woman’s feelings. Emma stepped back immediately, eyes wide.

“Tell your mother I will have her heart for this.” Regina promised darkly, her voice lower than she had heard it in a long time. This was the Evil Queen, not the Mayor. This was not Regina; this was solely her alter ego. Good. Good, she needed the Evil Queen’s strength. She had lost everything now—Henry included—and without that tether, she might just as well revert to her old self. It would hurt less. Perhaps, she would even be able to come out on the other side with Henry in tow if she finally stopped grovelling for his affections.

“You don’t have to do this.” Emma pleaded, hands thrown up to placate. “Your mother—“

“Don’t you dare.”

“Your mother… what she said? Regina, you would have been enough. Just you. Don’t go dark aga—“

“Get out!”

The fireball impacted against the wall behind the spot Emma had just occupied. The blonde had barely been on time to dodge it. Tears streaming down her face, Regina summoned a new ball of fire, and waited for the blonde to reappear in the door opening. She did not. Heaving, Regina waited. The young woman did not return. Quenching the fireball, Regina took a steadying breath. She forced the tears to stop falling, forced herself to straighten, forced herself to take regular breaths and summon her inner Queen.

“Perhaps I would have been enough for you now, mother,” She spoke, her voice controlled and calm now she had settled on a course of action. Vengeance had always been a good motivator, and a delicious source of strength. “But it’s not enough to avenge your death and get my son back… and I will do both. I promise you that.”

The rose left abandoned on the cold stone of the mausoleum only gave her a moment’s pause as she calmly marched out to put her plans into action. The time for such sentiments was gone; once more, Regina was dead—as dead as her mother—but the Queen was still very much alive. She would have everything. Everything.

That would be enough.

Finally.


End file.
